KATE MCNEIL - Daily Herald | Posted: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 11:00 pm
The Soulforce Equality Ride rolled into Utah County on Wednesday in preparation for their demonstrations at Brigham Young University today.
Soulforce, a grassroots movement for gay rights, travels to universities across the nation that they deem "homophobic," or restrict the enrollment of openly gay students. Utah Valley State College's Gay-Straight Alliance Club hosted the equality riders on their campus Wednesday, where they spoke to a small crowd on Christianity and homosexuality and progressive theology.
The group plans to visit 32 Christian colleges and universities. Their pamphlet reads, "The mission of Soulforce is to cut off homophobia at its source -- religious bigotry."
Today, Soulforce members will visit BYU. Last year's visit to the private Mormon school resulted in 24 arrests after it violated BYU's requests. Administrators have forewarned the group that they are not welcome on campus this year, based on their behavior last year.
Mike Cramer, a BYU alumnus on the equality ride, was arrested for trespassing during the group's March 8 visit to Notre Dame University in South Bend, Ind. He said the group does not want to get arrested this year.
Carri Jenkins, BYU spokeswoman, said, "Based on our experience last year, when Soulforce blatantly violated our requests, we have decided to not allow them on campus this year."
Jenkins said if the group, or even an individual from Soulforce, walks on campus they will be immediately removed.
"It is a violation to use our campus as a public forum to further agendas of any organization," Jenkins said.
Equality Riders will begin a six-hour "Walls of Jericho" walk around the outskirts of campus in order to draw attention to the issues they say that homosexual students face at BYU.
Matt Kulisch, a former BYU student, is coordinating this year's effort and said Soulforce plans to deliver a "list of concerns" to the administration. The list outlines current students' grievances with the school's policies on homosexuality.
In its section about living "a chaste and virtuous life," the BYU Honor Code states: "Advocacy of a homosexual lifestyle (whether implied or explicit) or any behaviors that indicate homosexual conduct, including those not sexual in nature, are inappropriate and violate the Honor Code."
Kulisch said he will invite Janet Scharman, BYU Student Life vice president, to come off campus at 11 a.m. on the corner of Bulldog Boulevard and Canyon Road to accept the list. The riders will then continue to march around campus and hold a community rally at Kiwanis Park at 5 p.m.
Scharman sent an e-mail to all current BYU students on Tuesday stating: "BYU will not change its policies or practices to accommodate any group's desire to promote its initiatives. ... Although Soulforce will not be coming on campus, if you meet one of its members simply treat him or her with the same courtesy that students did last year."
Current students who participate in the ride will face disciplinary action from the Honor Code Office for violating a rule that states no advocacy of homosexual behavior is allowed.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said in a 2006 interview about the LDS Church's position on homosexuality: "Men are that they might have joy. In the eternal perspective, same-gender activity will only bring sorrow and grief and the loss of eternal opportunities."
As an official arm of the church, BYU abides by the standards of the church, which, as Oaks said, believes: "Homosexual feelings are controllable."
Kulisch said about half of this year's riders are Christian and almost all of them believe in God.
"We recognize the good that comes from the LDS community," Cramer said, speaking on behalf of Soulforce. "Gay students at BYU should be allowed to be a part of that."
Kate McNeil can be reached at 344-2549 or kmcneil@heraldextra.com.
This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page C1.